The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-05-04
A. K. YERKES. Publisher.
THE DAWNING ERA.

THE DAWNlNG ERA.
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The CHRONICLE has iterated and re-it-
Grated the fact until the subject may have |
become somewhat threadbare and tire
some to it's readers, that Bozeman, by
reason of the eligibility and beauty of Its |
town-site, and, better still, because of its |
many strategic and strong points COM
merciaily, was soon to arise and take its
place among the largest cities of Montana.
We sincerely believe that the many state
ments the CHRONICLE has made to this
effect have found corroberative and
a convincing answer in the late rail.
road project, the Bozeman & Butte Short
Line, the articles of incorporation of
which, filed on the 2sth of April, and
published elsewhere in this issue, fully
explain the route of the proposed road.
The names of the local incorporators
proves that the road is to be more than
a name on paper, and these gentlemen
give us every assurance that more than
ample funds to build and equip the road
are on hand for that purpose. The en-
pineers are in the field. and the work of
grading will be carried speedily forward.
By glance at the proposed route it will
be seen that the Short Line PROPOSES to
reach the Swansea of America-the great
smelters of Anaconda: the marvellous
mines and mighty mills of Butte. where
thousands. nipbt and day. continually toll
and nearer hy. the rich mineral belt of
the Red Bluff district. about to take its
pIace as one of the rarest gold regions in
the west. With the latter district Boze-
man has ALWAYS enioyei commercial in.
tercourse and to large extent Bozeman
men are owners or part owners in the
mines of Red Bluff. and have therefore.
deeper interest in the welfare of that
camp than that engendered by mere mer
camille considerations. A railroad to Red
Bluff means an activity in the mines Mt
that place that will attract capitalists and
a demand for that which only the Gala
tin valley can supply SO prolificalIy from
the diversity of its busbandry. A rail
road connection with Butte and Anacon-
da opens market for the coal that lies
beneath us for more than twenty square
miles, to saw nothing of the oats, the
hay, and all other products Of the soil
that the Gallstin valley produces with
such liberality, and which must be pur-
chased by the citizens of Butte and An.
aconda at the nearest and therefore the
the cheapest market. Under such con-
ditions, is it not remarkable that capital-
lists have not. at an earlier day, sought to
enrich themselves by building this rail-
road? All that goes to make railroad
a paying institution lies in these points
connected by the means of CHEAP and
speedy transportation. One point pro-
duces an abundance of all that grows from
seed and soil required for mans mainte-
nance; the other produces in equal abun.
dance solely the precious minerals of the
mines. Then again the one covers vast
field of superior coal, the equal of which
has never yet been uncovered west of
the Missouri river, while the other ia
entirely devoid of fuel so necessary. and
is handicapped by the cost OF transpor-
tation of so important factor In the op.
alton of the smelters. But one might
pursue this line of thought column after
column and yet fail to do it full Justice
or exhaust the possibilities that will &C.
crue to this section by the building of
this Short Line railroad.
Bozeman might have been located in
a swamp, and even then fhe exipencies
of commerce and its geographical Ioca.
ton would have made it town. But it
was not. To the contrary it sits upon the
prettiest location in Montana, surround.
ed by mirroring mountains. whose icv
rills rush to the sunshine of the omen
plain and there nourish the grass and
foliage surrounding pleasant homes
Thus does Bozeman combine the stratepic
points required commercially and the
eligibility and beauty of site that makes
home pleasant. For twenty years Boze
man has been the Queen CITY of the
mountains; commanding by her geo.
graphical position alone the patronage
of vast tributary region. Towns have
arisen with breath of prosperity around
her and have set as quickly as they arose
with the first spasm of adversely, Moth
ing has retarded her growth, slow tits
true, but sure and permanent,
We candidly believe that Bozeman
has reached the tide in her affairs that
leads to fortune and fame, We believe
that when the first shovel of dirt is
thrown upon the road-bed of anothe r
railroad to Bozeman then begins the rap
id growth upon the solid foundation al.
fidence in the town has never been shak
en-, begin to realize that they "builded